Householding Customs (Culture)
Householdings have many customs that involved both Simes and Gens and change through time. Honoring the dead with a "deathcount" is one of the first customs begun by the the House of Zeor, first Householding, at its inception among the Forts. A martyr to the cause of living without The Kill was honored by having his/her name preserved on a stone monument, first begun in Fort Freedom, and a period of mourning of one day for each year of the deceased's life. So many were martyred, Zeor created the custom of designating one area of the House as a Memorial To The One Billion -- an arbitrary number of dead during the period between the collapse of Ancient civilization and the First Channel, Rimon Farris. Marriages were celebrated with feasting, music and dance from the time of the very first Fort, Fort Freedom, which customs were based on out-Territory Gen customs. The anniversary of the Founding of a Fort or House was likewise a day of celebration. Childbirth was usually an occasion marked by tribute to the Mother, but not the newborn. Changeover or Establishment is considered the 'brithday' celebration, and the day of birth of the Sime or Gen is not considered a day of celebration in-Territory. This is also true somewhat of junct Sime culture in general, but never takes root out-Territory among Gen cultures. Forts and Householdings emphasized the role of children in all celebrations, and protected the younger children from the harshness of funerals and mourning. Prior to Unity, Householdings organized into the Tecton in order to trade goods and defense support among themselves, but also to trade among themselves for channels and Companions, as well as for members. A Sectuib's duties included finding good homes for those in a Householding who didn't fit philosophically, and taking in those from other Householdings who would be comfortable. Marriages were arranged this way, as well as distribution of trades and skills. After Unity, the funeral and celebration customs persisted, but the trading of goods, members and skills became obsolete. Likewise, the Sectuib's literal ownership of all land, buildings, objects and Gens within the Householding's land was (joyfully) abolished, as it was no longer necessary for a Householding to pay taxes to a junct government for the right to harbor Gens, and Gens became citizens in their own right, able to own property. Likewise the Sime members of a Householding were no longer utterly dependent on that Householding's channeling staff for their very lives, month to month. The channeling staffs of the Householdings left to work in the junct cities and venture out-Territory to harvest selyn from Gens. Unity changed the basic economy of the Householdings as well as the Territories. As a result old customs withered and new customs arose. The Interstellar Era sees the Householding channeling staff and governing officers as more ceremonial than functional. However, many Householdings such as Keon and Zeor become more like family corporations running businesses usually derived from their specialties prior to Unity. (Source: Index Card file. "Funeral" (funerary customs) --- House of Zeor) Feleho's funeral Honor of officiating at funeral belongs to ___________ Casket on a bier in center of courtyard, draped with a cloth of Zeor blue. Held at dawn. Whole Householding present. Hrel stands beside bier dressed in ankle length cloak of Zeor blue embroidered with Zeor symbols, reading from a prepared text. Klyd also wears blue cloak. Hrel's name is added to the roll of martyrs --- the reason and manner of his death is stated. Speech followed by a soft, complicated chant: "Today is the First Day in the Death Count of Feleho ambrov Zeor." Casket carried and group follows, out through fields to cemetery. Cemetery well kept, neat white fence, on a gentle hill, graves in neat rows (they bury their dead). Martyrs have a 3-lobed marker; others only one lobe. Zeor's cemetery has about half the markers of 3-lobed variety. Each mourner put a shovel of dirt over the coffin, then Hrel and Klyd finished. Widow speaks to Hrel, then leaves. Then, one by one, each spoke a few words to Klyd, pledged undying loyalty to him ("the pledge" --- apparently a formula), thanked Hrel and left to walk back alone or with small children. Hrel made the last pledge to Klyd. Klyd is planning to conduct funerals of Grandfather and Yenava (as Sectuib or as next-of-kin.) "Count the Days of My Death as I Counted the Days of My Life." Category:Terms Category:Culture